Only 100 Seats Left In Lions Club’s

ETH Tercentennial Project

A milestone was reached last week when Daniel Amaral of Amaral Motors presented a $300 check to the Newtown Lions Club to purchase the 311th Edmond Town Hall Theatre seat.

“There are now only 100 seats to go,” said Lion Gordon Williams, chairman of the club’s tercentennial project. “Since all of the seats will have special memorial plaques, they make terrific gifts this holiday season.”

All of the 411 seats on the main level of the theater will be replaced as part of this project. Some will be paid for through many small donations to the fund, but most are being purchased individuals, families, organizations, and businesses and will bear plaques honoring the donors or someone or something of their choice.

Besides Amaral Motors, other businesses, including T.R. Paul, The Taunton Press, Caldwell & Walsh, and Naser’s Salon also bought seats recently.

T.R. Paul, located on Commerce Road, bought seven seats, a contribution at the purple level. Established in 1947, T.R. Paul is a diversified, full-service employee benefit consulting firm. For buying what amounts to half a row of seats, the company’s name also will be inscribed on a plaque in Edmond Town Hall.

Donors who buy a row of 14 seats will be honored at the silver level, and those who donate $5,000 will be honored at the gold level.

The Taunton Press, which purchased two seats, publishes special interest magazines, books, DVDs, and websites in the fields of woodworking, homebuilding, sewing, gardening, cooking, and home design. Founded in Newtown by Jan and Paul Roman, The Taunton Press employs 300 people and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Naser’s Salon of Hair and Color Designs, located at the courtyard adjacent to the flagpole on Main Street, is owned by Naser Behluli, who immigrated with his family from Kosovo and came to Newtown in 1992. Earlier this year he opened a second salon at Nunnawauk Meadows.

Caldwell & Walsh Building Construction, Inc, is a provider of general contracting and construction management services for commercial and institutional clients with projects of varying sizes and complexity. Founded by Michael Rizzo, a Newtown resident, the company relocated from Ridgefield to Sandy Hook in 2002.

Amaral Motors was started by Daniel Amaral’s father in 1932. Today Daniel and his brother Marcus own the business. Amaral Motors sells Chrysler products and does repairs on all types of vehicles. It also operates the only auto emissions station in Newtown.

The Lions Club invites donations of all sizes to the theater seat renovation project. Anyone interested in contributing should make a check out to the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers and send it to the Newtown Lions Club, Attention Gordon Williams, PO Box 218, Newtown 06470.

Anyone who has questions should call Mr Williams at 426-6443.